uleg.thefarthestshore-第26章

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　　Arren　sat　down　inside　the　shelter。　His　guide　went　back　to　the　other　raft；　and　nobody　bothered　him。　After　an　hour　or　so　a　woman　brought　him　food：　a　kind　of　cold　fish　stew　with　bits　of　some　transparent　green　stuff　in　it；　salty　but　good；　and　a　small　cup　of　water；　stale；　tasting　pitchy　from　the　caulking　of　the　barrel。　He　saw　by　the　way　she　gave　him　the　water　that　it　was　a　treasure　that　she　gave　him；　a　thing　to　be　honored。　He　drank　it　respectfully　and　asked　for　no　more；　though　he　could　have　drunk　ten　times　the　cupful。
　　Sparrowhawk's　shoulder　had　been　skillfully　bandaged；　he　slept　deeply　and　easily。　When　he　woke　up；　his　eyes　were　clear。　He　looked　at　Arren　and　smiled　the　sweet；　joyous　smile　that　was　always　startling　on　his　hard　face。　Arren　felt　suddenly　like　weeping　again。　He　put　his　hand　on　Sparrowhawk's　hand　and　said　nothing。
　　One　of　the　raft…folk　approached　and　squatted　down　in　the　shade　of　the　large　shelter　nearby：　a　kind　of　temple；　it　appeared　to　be；　with　a　square　design　of　great　plexity　above　the　doorway；　and　the　doorjambs　made　of　logs　carved　in　the　shape　of　grey　whales　sounding。　This　man　was　short　and　thin　like　the　others；　boy…like　in　frame；　but　his　face　was　strong…featured　and　weathered　by　the　years。　He　wore　nothing　but　a　loincloth；　but　dignity　clothed　him　amply。　〃He　must　sleep；〃　he　said；　and　Arren　left　Sparrowhawk　and　came　to　him。
　　〃You　are　the　chief　of　this　folk；〃　Arren　said；　knowing　a　prince　when　he　saw　one。
　　〃I　am；〃　the　man　said；　with　a　short　nod。　Arren　stood　before　him；　erect　and　unmoving。　Presently　the　man's　dark　eyes　met　his　briefly：　〃You　are　a　chief　also；〃　he　observed。
　　〃I　am；〃　Arren　answered。　He　would　have　liked　very　much　to　know　how　the　raftman　knew　it；　but　remained　impassive。　〃But　I　serve　my　lord；　there。〃
　　The　chief　of　the　raft…folk　said　something　Arren　did　not　understand　at　all：　certain　words　changed　out　of　recognition　or　names　he　did　not　know；　then　he　said；　〃Why　came　you　into　Balatran？〃
　　〃Seeking…〃
　　But　Arren　did　not　know　how　much　to　say；　nor　indeed　what　to　say。　All　that　had　happened；　and　the　matter　of　their　quest；　seemed　very　long　ago　and　was　confused　in　his　mind。　At　last　he　said；　〃We　came　to　Obehol。　They　attacked　us　when　we　came　to　land。　My　lord　was　hurt。〃
　　〃And　you？〃
　　〃I　was　not　hurt；〃　Arren　said；　and　the　cold　self…possession　he　had　learnt　in　his　courtly　childhood　served　him　well。　〃But　there　was…　there　was　something　like　a　madness。　One　who　was　with　us　drowned　himself。　There　was　a　fear…〃　He　stopped；　and　stood　silent。
　　The　chief　watched　him　with　black；　opaque　eyes。　At　last　he　said；　〃You　e　by　chance　here；　then。〃
　　〃Yes。　Are　we　still　in　the　South　Reach？〃
　　〃Reach？　No。　The　islands…〃　The　chief　moved　his　slender；　black　hand　in　an　arc；　no　more　than　a　quarter　of　the　pass；　north　to　east。　〃The　islands　are　there；〃　he　said。　〃All　the　islands。〃　Then　showing　all　the　evening　sea　before　them；　from　north　through　west　to　south；　he　said；　〃The　sea。〃
　　〃What　land　are　you　from；　lord？〃
　　〃No　land。　We　are　the　Children　of　the　Open　Sea。〃
　　Arren　looked　at　his　keen　face。　He　looked　about　him　at　the　great　raft　with　its　temple　and　its　tall　idols；　each　carved　from　a　single　tree；　great　god…figures　mixed　of　dolphin；　fish；　man；　and　sea　bird；　at　the　people　busy　at　their　work；　weaving；　carving；　fishing；　cooking　on　raised　platforms；　tending　babies；　at　the　other　rafts；　seventy　at　least；　scattered　out　over　the　water　in　a　great　circle　perhaps　a　mile　across。　It　was　a　town：　smoke　rising　in　thin　wisps　from　distant　houses；　the　voices　of　children　high　on　the　wind。　It　was　a　town；　and　under　its　floors　was　the　abyss。
　　〃Do　you　never　e　to　land？〃　the　boy　asked　in　a　low　voice。
　　〃Once　each　year。　We　go　to　the　Long　Dune。　We　cut　wood　there　and　refit　the　rafts。　That　is　in　autumn；　and　after　that　we　follow　the　gray　whales　north。　In　winter　we　go　apart；　each　raft　alone。　In　the　spring　we　e　to　Balatran　and　meet。　There　is　going　from　raft　to　raft　then；　there　are　marriages；　and　the　Long　Dance　is　held。　These　are　the　Roads　of　Balatran；　from　here　the　great　current　bears　south。　In　summer　we　drift　south　upon　the　great　current　until　we　see　the　Great　Ones；　the　grey　whales；　turning　northward。　Then　we　follow　them；　returning　at　last　to　the　beaches　of　Emah　on　the　Long　Dune；　for　a　little　while。〃
　　〃This　is　most　wonderful；　my　lord；〃　said　Arren。　〃Never　did　I　hear　of　such　a　people　as　yours。　My　home　is　very　far　from　here。　Yet　there　too；　in　the　island　of　Enlad；　we　dance　the　Long　Dance　on　midsummer　eve。〃
　　〃You　stamp　the　earth　down　and　make　it　safe；〃　the　chief　said　dryly。　〃We　dance　on　the　deep　sea。〃
　　After　a　time　he　asked；　〃How　is　he　called；　your　lord？〃
　　〃Sparrowhawk；〃　Arren　said。　The　chief　repeated　the　syllables；　but　they　clearly　had　no　meaning　for　him。　And　that　more　than　any　other　thing　made　Arren　understand　that　the　tale　was　true；　that　these　people　lived　on　the　sea　year　in；　year　out；　on　the　open　sea　past　any　land　or　scent　of　land；　beyond　the　flight　of　the　land　birds；　outside　the　knowledge　of　men。
　　〃There　was　death　in　him；〃　the　chief　said。　〃He　must　sleep。　You　go　back　to　Star's　raft；　I　will　send　for　you。〃　He　stood　up。　Though　perfectly　sure　of　himself；　he　was　apparently　not　quite　sure　what　Arren　was；　whether　he　should　treat　him　as　an　equal　or　as　a　boy。　Arren　preferred　the　latter；　in　this　situation；　and　accepted　his　dismissal；　but　then　faced　a　problem　of　his　own。　The　rafts　had　drifted　apart　again；　and　a　hundred　yards　of　satiny　water　rippled　between　the　two。
　　The　chief　of　the　Children　of　the　Open　Sea　spoke　to　him　once　more；　briefly。　〃Swim；〃　he　said。
　　Arren　let　himself　gingerly　into　the　water。　Its　cool　was　pleasant　on　his　sun…baked　skin。　He　swam　across　and　hauled　himself　out　on　the　other　raft；　to　find　a　group　of　five　or　six　children　and　young　people　watching　him　with　undisguised　interest。　A　very　small　girl　said；　〃You　swim　like　a　fish　on　a　hook。〃
　　〃How　should　I　swim？〃　asked　Arren；　a　little　mortified；　but　polite；　indeed　he　could　not　have　been　rude　to　a　human　being　so　very　small。　She　looked　like　a　polished　mahogany　statuette；　fragile；　exquisite。　〃Like　this！〃　she　cried；　and　dived　like　a　seal　into　the　dazzle　and　liquid　roil　of　the　waters。　Only　after　a　long　time；　and　at　an　improbable　distance；　did　he　hear　her　shrill　cry　and　see　her　black；　sleek　head　above　the　surface。
　　〃e　on；〃　said　a　boy　who　was　probably　Arren's　age；　though　he　looked　not　more　than　twelve　in　height　and　build：　a　grave…faced　fellow；　with　a　blue　crab　tattooed　all　across　his　back。　He　dived；　and　all　dived；　even　the　three…year…old；　so　Arren　had　to　and　did　so；　trying　not　to　splash。
　　〃Like　an　eel；〃　said　the　boy；　ing　up　by　his　shoulder。
　　〃Like　a　dolphin；〃　said　a　pretty　girl　with　a　pretty　smile；　and　vanished　in　the　depths。
　　〃Like　me！〃　squeaked　the　three…year…old；　bobbing　like　a　bottle。
　　So　that　evening　until　dark；　and　all　the　next　long　golden　day　and　the　days　that　followed；　Arren　swam　and　talked　and　worked　with　the　young　people　of　Star's　raft。　And　of　all　the　events　of　his　voyage　since　that　morning　of　the　equinox　when　he　and　Sparrowhawk　left　Roke；　this　seemed　to　him　in　some　way　the　strangest；　for　it　had　nothing　to　do　with　all　that　had　gone　before；　in　the　voyage　or　in　all　his　life；　and　even　less　to　do　with　what　was　yet　to　e。　At　night；　lying　down　to　sleep　among　the　others　under　the　stars；　he　thought；　〃It　is　as　if　I　were　dead；　and　this　is　an　afterlife；　here　in　the　sunlight；　beyond　the　edge　of　the　world；　among　the　sons　and　daughters　of　the　sea。。。〃
　　Before　he　slept　he　would　look　in　the　far　south　for　the　yellow　star　and　the　figure　of　the　Rune　of　Ending；　and　always　he　saw　Gobardon　and　the　lesser　or　the　greater　triangle；　but　it　rose　later　now；　and　he　could　not　keep　his　eyes　open　till　the　whole　figure　stood　free　of　the　horizon。　By　night　and　by　day　the　rafts　drifted　southward；　but　there　was　never　any　change　in　the　sea；　for　the　ever…changing　does　not　change；　the　rainstorms　of　May　passed　over；　and　at　night　the　stars　shone；　and　all　day　the　sun。
　　He　knew　that　their　life　could　not　be　lived　always　in　this　dreamlike　case。　He　asked　of　winter；　and　they　told　him　of　the　long　rains　and　the　mighty　swells；　the　single　rafts；　each　separated　from　all　the　rest；　drifting　and　plunging　along　through　the　grey　and　darkness；　week　after　week　after　week。　Last　winter　in　a　month…long　storm　they　had　s